Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Giglamps' Rebel

Tip O'Sultoon had here-to-fore led the 17th Heavy Dragoons, the famed Sewon and Soforths, on a merry chase.

All this was about to change.

An informer has told Crown authorities the location of the rebel leader.

Lt. Giglamps lost no time in leading his troop, "his troop", the sound of it still thrilled!, to the rebel fairy mound. A quick inspection showed a prize not planned on, for there, engaged in animated discussion with the wee folk rebel, stood a Colonel of Mordred's Imperial Guard!

The Field. Note the research material center front.

Giggers hastily convened an O group with his serjeant and chosen orcs. The troop was to act in two sections. One led by Giggers himself would scout the woods to the right of the fairy mound. The second,or reserve, section would charge in straight for the mound and prevent anyone from entering or exiting the place.

But the rebels struck first!

With a cry of "You''ll never get my lucky charms!" O'Sultoon scampered into his bolt hole.

With a cry of "Merde!" the Colonel of the Imperial Guard put spurs to his mount and cantered off.

With a cry of "Up the Rebels!" a section of bog ocrs opened fire from the wood to Giggers' front.

The wood erupted in smoke.

The initial bog orc volley did no real harm, but the dragoons were still too far out to reply with their carbines.

Giggers ordered the advance and soon a spirited firefight ensued at the tree line.

According to plan the reserve section advanced to seal O'Sultoon's lair.

Suddenly a larger band of bog orcs appeared from behind the fairy mound and opened a brisk fire.

On Giggers' skirmish line, losses started to mount.

As ever reacting quickly to a fluid situation, Giggers ordered the reserve section to charge the new comers. He also ordered his cover orc, who was himself doggedly trying to clear a misfire, to cover the now uncovered entrance to the mound. It wasn't according to Hoyle, but "needs must" as they say.

The reserve section rode down the bog orcs, slaying or disabling more than half their number.

The survivors, somewhat stunned by their reverse, nevertheless continued the struggle.

Meanwhile, on the skirmish line, things had taken a grim turn.

With three dragoons down, Giggers stood, or rather sat his charger, alone.

Having passed through all before them, the reserve section now opened a brisk fire on the survivors.

Although already suffering from three wounds of greater or lesser import, Giggers did what one always does in these situations.

Charge!

Giggers rode through the wood, and clean through the bog orc skirmish line therein.

On emerging from the wood Giggers charged the remnants of the bog orcs left by the reserve section.

The survivors fled.

The field belonged to the 17th!

Game notes:

A quick game, having lasted only some three turns, but one chock a block full of action.

Final losses were one dragoon and one trooper (as troop horses were known then) killed, and two dragoons wounded. Giggers of course also suffered wounds but as he was able to carry on, I've not included him in the tally, Similarly some of the remaining troopers suffered inconsequential wounds that will not affect their further service to the Regiment.

The rebels lost some eleven bog orcs killed, wounded, or missing.

I do think the AI need a bit of a tweak for dealing with cavalry. The current In Sight mechanic that has every figure capable of firing actually firing does for infantry versus infantry fights, although to be honest I don't think it really captures the flavor of horse and musket skirmishing. However when dealing with horse, perhaps more so in a skirmish than in a larger battle, it is key to keep some muskets charged for when the horsemen close.

I am weighing a few options here, as always hoping to go with the simplest solution.

As for Giggers and troop, next up we shall see them descend into the fairy mound in pursuit of Tip O'Sultoon. Following on from that, the early Giggers' timeline catches up with "Giglamp's Fight a Duel", as we see Giggers off to Catalucia in pursuit of that elusive Colonel of the Imperial Guard, in "Giglamps and El Labrador".

That's all for now and hope you have enjoyed my foray into run on sentences!

Hello Conrad! Well the game was played over the course of an afternoon with time out for lunch and a nap so its hard to say! Based on previous experience, and discounting the time taken to photograph the thing I'd guess about an hour.

I will try to play a few games without recording them (and without eating and napping) and report back : )